1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for adjusting an angle at which a seat belt is drawn out of a seat.
2. Description of Prior Art
A seat belt is provided, as a matter of course, within an automobile, with a view to properly restraining an occupant on the seat against a force which will tend to throw him or her away from the the seat in such a case as a collision or sudden deceleration.
Conventionally, the seat belt is to be drawn out of a given seat-belt drawing slit formed in the cabin wall or interior wall of the automobile, so that the occupant may draw the scat belt from such slit and attach it over his or her body for getting a sufficient restraint to the seat, which permits the occupant to do any action on the seat during driving the automobile, such as actuating a slide device for making a fore-and-aft positional adjustment of the seat or operating a reclining device to adjust an inclination angle of the seat back of the seat.
However, in the hitherto seat belt drawing arrangement, a sufficient restraint can not be attained in most cases from the seat belt being drawn out. This problem is attributed to the fact that the seat belt drawing angle varies depending on individual occupants having different physiques; namely, for a long-waisted occupant, the seat belt is to be drawn at a relatively greater angle relative to its drawing slit, but, for a short-waisted occupant, the drawing angle of the seat belt assumes less degree relative to the drawing slit. The hitherto arrangement, it this respect, disposes the seat belt drawing slit at a fixed point and thus results in creating such varied seat-belt-drawing angles, which does not provide a sufficient restrain of the seat belt to each of different occupants having different physiques. As a result, the occupant finds it difficult to draw the seat belt smoothly, or the seat belt may be bent acutely at its drawing slit and consequently damage.
To solve this problem, the Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2-42858 proposes a vertical slide means for adjusting the position of a seat belt according to the physical constitution of occupant on the seat. In this prior art, the seat belt is adjustably moved up and down by means of vertically sliding device having a seat belt guide through which the seat belt passes in a free way.
However, the defective aspect of such prior art is that, when the sliding is lowered, the seat belt is forcibly acutely bent at the seat belt guide, as a result of which the seat belt is given a great friction, making it hard for an occupant to draw the seat belt for use.